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Seeing the Mayan remains in Tikal, Guatemala was an incredible site. We hiked back through the grounds and climbed some of the towers. What the Mayans built with human power and a whole lot of faith was unbelievable. Apparently the ruins continue on underground quite a ways and there is much more to be excavated.

The stairways were very steep.

Rob resting at the top of one of the smaller towers.

We saw a nice sized tarantula.

The slate where heads were chopped off… yikes. The Mayans definitely liked to “sacrifice” people.

Stunning.

This is one of my favorite photos. Looking at one of the other temples from afar.

Tikal is beautiful and historical. It was remarkable touching history and imaging what it used to be like back in the day.

I’ve met a great group of colleagues at work and we’ve started a cooking club. Every month or two, one of us will host the rest and we learn how to cook or bake something new. This time around was a chocolate covered edition. We went wild dipping and decorating some pretzel wands and strawberries!

Double boiling the chocolate is a must for success. White chocolate is harder to keep melted but if you move quickly, you can get a lot out of one batch.

The dark chocolate double boiled stayed liquid for a long time.

First step is dipping the goods in chocolate.

Get your toppings ready!

We had a lot of fun with this :)

We added a lot of personality to some of the sticks.

You can even make little faces with different toppings.

We also made some delicious strawberries.

And dressed ’em up in tuxes.

Too cute!

We boxed up the goods and everyone could take them home. It’s a great group dessert cooking activity!

While in the jungle in Belize, we stayed on a property of over 73,000 acres. There were so many beautiful plants and walkways, I loved seeing all the different types of plants that thrived in the Belizean Jungle.

We went on some awesome cave adventures while in Belize. I have to admit I was a little bit intimidated at first because a lot of the entry ways were very small with low ceilings. However, as we carried on through the caves and the ceilings and natural cave windows to the jungle opened up, I soon settled into one of the most naturally beautiful expeditions to see.

Tank ride to the trail head.

The place we stayed had these huge tanker trucks that would bring us to our daily adventures. They tromped through rough trails and through rivers. They didn’t destroy anything, we just needed them to navigate the rough roads that aren’t easily accessible.

Before a crazy rain storm hailed down on us.

The storm brewing.

A critter joined Rob.

My onzie yoga pants ended up being the best jungle trekking pants because they were water proof and protected my legs.

Hiking to our cave drop in.

Everyone getting in their tubes!

We were 85% in caves but every now and then we would come out to the most picturesque river spots in the jungle.

Jungle nerd. At least I was comfortable for the 9 miles of cave floating.

As someone who thoroughly loves travel and photography, I’ve also toted my big SLR camera around (and still do to be honest). After getting a GoPro though, it really takes the cake in terms of adventure camera. It has a waterproof housing and you can hold it in your hand. Here are some of my GoPro shots from Belize!

One of the best parts of vacation is just relaxing. We definitely tried to detox from the working world as much as possible. Nothing like fresh coconuts and a dip in the pool to rinse the sea salt from the ocean off.

We had access to a few different pools and really enjoyed the one next to the ocean.

Biking was my favorite mode of transportation on Caye Caulker in Belize. It’s flat everywhere and the breeze feels so good on the sun soaked skin. The views aren’t bad either. Riding along the ocean and through the quaint streets, it’s a lifestyle one could get used to quick.

There are piers everywhere to enjoy.

Our bikes came with baskets so I could load up my awesome new beach bag my step mom gave me for the trip <3

These Urban Outfitter sandals are such a good find for the summer. They are easy to slip on and go with everything.

We spent some time on the island of Caye Caulker in Belize and I just fell in love with it. It was quiet and slow paced but full of good food and easy swimming. We rented this awesome cottage through Airbnb on the South end of the island and rode bikes everywhere. It was a perfectly relaxing stop :).

Beach Tacos – nom!

Lobster season was in full swing and we were enjoying the lobster ceviche.

A San Rafael summer isn’t complete without the annual Italian Street Painting Festival. Talented artists from all over the world gather to create beautiful chalk pieces. I love being there at the beginning and seeing little pieces of street come to life. I hope you enjoy some of my favorites.

We officially touched down in Belize yesterday and I can say so far it has far exceeded any expectations or thoughts we had about it. We knew it was going to be amazing but it’s blown us away with it’s island breeze, turquoise waters, and slowed down pace. Here’s a little peak into Ambergris Caye!

Our Airbnb hosts greeted us with a free drink! They call these ones dirty bananas.

There are cute island dogs everywhere, this one belongs to our property and his name is Marvin. Used to be starvin’ Marvin but they fed him up really good.

We asked if we could take our drinks out on a pier and they answered of course, there are no rules here! We dig it.

My nap spot for the next week, do not disturb :).

We found our way to the Palapa Bar which I’d been dreaming about and it was everything I was hoping! Sun, tacos, beers, and ocean inner tubes – true vacation mode!